Does Cold Weather Help you Burn Fat?

Before you curse the weather gods for yet another snow storm, there might be an upside if you're looking for a weight loss boost.

According to a recent article in Obesity Reviews, researchers have found that cooler external temperatures force our bodies to burn more energy to keep warm. Dr. Fiona Johnson of the University College London and her colleagues believe that higher indoor temperatures and reduced exposure to cold may be a contributor to rising obesity rates.

“By lowering the room temperature you can increase the speed of weight loss,” Dr. Eric Braverman, author of “The Younger (Sexier) You”, told AOL Health. “For those looking to lose weight, it can be an additional strategy for added impact.”

People who spend less time outdoors and continuously turn their thermostats up are not exposed to the most effective levels of cold for fat burning. This causes people to use less energy to maintain their body temperatures, and without that exposure to cold, humans lose some of their ability to warm up on their own.

But there is still more research to be done, Johnson told Discovery News. Researchers do not know exactly how cold a person would have to be for what period of time in order for these effects to be relevant.